#so in response he drew this crystal which he claims holds the power to not make me drown in his cuteness

[jaeyxns]

there's no way to be normal about this at all so i'm just 🤧💓🤧💓🤧💓🤧💓🤧💓🤧💓🤧💓

[ask-them-bois]

Drowning in Sorrow

SW.pt.1 SW.pt.2 SW.pt.3

A bonus story on Fayroe’s fate!

Tw: Mentions of past abuse and past torture, mild blood, scars

TLDR: Makeno and Fayroe reunite.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makeno was jolted out of sleep by the sound of someone banging on the front door. He sat up slowly, partially untangling himself from his snoozing matesprit. He blinked several times, his thinkpan still sluggish from the rude awakening. A second round of frantic knocking had him getting up and getting pants on.

A third round started as he made his way downstairs. “Jegus, hold on, I’m coming!” He called, huffy, as he unlocked the locks and wrenched the door open. “Unless someone’s dying, I really don’t wanna be bothered on my night off, I only-”

Makeno’s voice went dead in his throat as he came face to face with the sight of Fayroe, covered in blood, sweat, and tears, standing on his doorstep.

What looked like deep bite marks and lacerations were scored all over the fuchsia’s chest, shoulders, and one was dangerously close to his throat, blood bubbling from his mouth and nose.

“M- Makey… I- I need your help-” Fayroe wheezed out, clutching at the larger wound, before Makeno slammed the door in their face.

The violetblood pressed himself up against the door, his blood-pumper hammering against his ribs. No- no no no no no no- this was not happening, this was NOT happening-!

“Ken-ken? Wha’s goin’ on?” Corden’s sleep-slurred voice startled Makeno out of his panic. He looked up, fins flaring, as Corden approached him from the stairs, blinking blearily.

“I- I- I-” Makeno tried, but his thinkpan was suddenly racing too fast for thoughts. He lurched away from the door and fled to the back of the hive as panic overtook him.

Corden jumped out of his way, bewildered. “Uh… okay.” Puzzled, he went to see for himself who was at the door.

Opening it, Corden found Fayroe, now collapsed on the porch and slumped against the wall. That certainly woke the robot up. He rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. “Holy fuck.” He said at last, “Yeah, no, Ken-ken was in the right to flip like that. When he’s done it’s my turn.”

So saying, he turned away and disappeared back into the hive, before returning to the porch with a handheld medicalizer and a roll of gauze. He knelt down with a sigh, shaking his head.

Grumbling under their breath, Corden set about repairing the wounds and wrapping them. “How fucking dare you show up here, Fay. I mean, really, it’s just rude! Be glad Ken-ken tells me I’ve gotta be nice to others, otherwise I would have gone and just grabbed my bat. And not my lusus; I mean the one with barbed wire on it. What the fuck happened to you?” He muttered crossly, although he wasn’t expecting an answer.

Just as he was finishing up, Fayroe stirred. He let out a gurgling whimper, wincing as he was jostled slightly, before he managed to peel his eyes open. He squinted up at Corden, dazed. “… Wh… I know you…”

“You sure fucking do.” Corden hissed, making the fuchsia flinch.

“I… I need Makey’s help-”

“You need a lot of help, Fayroe, of several varieties, but you’re not getting Ken-ken.”

“You know Makey?” They asked, sounding faintly surprised.

“He’s my morail, dipshit.” Corden rolled his eyes.

Fayroe scowled. “How dare you-” They began, but their voice was still weak.

“I don’t wanna hear it, Fallen.” Corden snapped, cutting them off, as he got to his feet. “Stay.” He ordered, marching back inside. Fayroe didn’t have the strength to argue or protest.

Corden headed to the back of the hive. He knew exactly where Makeno had gone, and a muffled yell and thump confirmed it; the seadweller was in his studio. Changing course, they walked over to the block Makeno used to record music, and carefully opened the door.

“GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!!” The seadweller bellowed at full volume. Corden jumped back as the piano bench slammed into the wall beside the door, shattering into several pieces.

The studio was in shambles; recording equipment was busted apart and thrown everywhere, screens were shattered, notebooks torn to shreds and scattered. There were holes in the cushioned walls, where Makeno had punched straight through the padding. The only undamaged part of the block was the piano, which had been shoved against the wall.

Speak of the devil, Makeno stood in the middle of the room, facing away from the door, his shoulders heaving as he fought for breath and claws curled into fists at his sides. His fins were flared in a display of fury, his gills flapping weakly as they tried to suck in air.

Having destroyed the last thing he could throw, Makeno suddenly fell to his knees.

Snarling, Makeno punched the carpet, before scoring his claws across his chest; Corden didn’t need to see it to know he was clawing at the bubble tattoo. A sob ripped out of the seadweller’s throat, and he fell onto his hands, strangled hiccups in his throat.

“… Makeno?”

The seadweller whirled around on the gold, teeth bared. He froze as he recognized his morail, several emotions flickering past his face- anger, surprise, recognition, relief, and then… grief. Violet tears filled the seadweller’s eyes, but he bared his razor teeth again. “Get them out!” He snapped.

“He’s not even in the hive.” Corden said calmly, stepping into the block and shutting the door behind them.

“Then get him away!”

“He’s too hurt to move.”

“I don’t give a shit! Fucking kill them and drag their corpse over the cliff!” Makeno shouted. Corden said nothing, unflinchingly staring at his raging morail; old instincts had shut him down the moment he saw an angry highblood. Makeno’s breathing hitched as he recognized the empty look in the goldblood’s eyes.

All the fight suddenly went out of his body, and the seadweller hung his head. “… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“I… please, Cordy, just get them-”

“As soon as I can move him, he’s gone.” Corden promised.

Makeno let out a whine, before rocking backwards to sit on his rump. He drew his knees up to his chest, pressing his forehead against them. After a moment, he let out a bitter laugh. “This fucking sucks. God damn it, I thought- I thought I was over this- I’m- I’m sorry, Cordy, I’m supposed to be the grown up here, the responsible one, and I’m having a tantrum like I’m six sweeps old because of my fucking ex, and I-”

“No one said you had to be the responsible one, Ken-ken.”

Makeno snorted. “I’ve got two jobs, a husband, a hive, and I take care of you. How could I not be the responsible one?”

Corden was silent for a moment. “Being responsible doesn’t mean shutting yourself down, fish-brain.” He said at last. He moved over to the seadweller and knelt down, putting a hand on his knee. “Tell you what. This time, I’ll be the mature one. You go yell and rage all you need to, okay? And then we can go throw rocks into the ocean like you did the other night.”

Makeno laughed, startling himself. “You saw that, did you?”

“Yeah. Was that about… him, or about-?”

“It was about some bucket-fuck at work.”

“Ah.” Silence fell for a moment. “So… do you wanna talk to them?”

“No.”

“Do you need to?”

“… Probably.”

“M’kay. Then, as the currently appointed Responsible One- trademarked- I say we’re going to go rage and yell at the half-dead fish on the porch.”

“… You’ll come with me?”

“Are you kidding? I’m not missing this.”

Less than a minute later, Makeno was stood before Fayroe, trying to think of what to say.

The fuchsia hadn’t moved, leaning against the wall as one hand clutched their now blood-soaked shirt. He was more lucid now that he wasn’t actively bleeding out, and he stared up at the violetblood in awe.

Corden stood just behind Makeno’s shoulder, holding his hand.

The tension was thick enough to drown in, the night silent around them.

“… Makeno, I-” Fayroe finally began.

“Shut. The fuck. Up.” Makeno spat between clenched teeth. Fayroe’s fin-fronds began to flare with indignation, but Makeno instantly displayed his own. They both held the display for a moment, but Fayroe backed down first, his fins drooping as he looked away.

“... I missed you, Makey. I really missed you. Fuck, I’ve got so much to tell you… You know, I still lo-”

“I’m going to stop you right there, Fayroe.” Makeno said sharply. He was tense again, squeezing Corden’s fingers like a vice; the goldblood was glad he’d given Makeno his robotic hand, or it’d hurt like a bitch. “I don’t give a flying fuck what you think, how you feel about me, or what the fuck has happened to you. I thought I made it crystal fucking clear that I hate you, platonically.”

Fayroe winced, reaching up to touch the scar that ran across their lip. “Ma- ”

“No! No! You don’t get to talk, Fayroe! You said plenty when we were together, and never let me get a word in edgewise! I was your good little boyfriend, who kept his mouth shut and let you do as you pleased! Now it’s my turn.” Makeno snapped forcefully, before hissing the last words between his teeth.

He took several deep, quick breaths, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. “You’re a vile, pathetic coward, Fayroe Fallen. You were cruel to me, you took advantage of me and my loneliness- and now you have the unmitigated gall to come crawling to my hive like we parted ways as friends?

You manipulated me, abused me, and took all of your emotions out on me. You never left me alone, never let me be my own person, and thought it was FUNNY when I was upset. You paraded yourself around like you’d already been crowned Emperor, bragging from here to East Alternia about how great you are, how powerful you are- then turn around and demand I validate your claims in the respiteblock!”

“I never-!” Fayroe began hotly.

“Shut your fucking mouth, I’m not done!” Makeno snarled, “I feel like ripping my ocular orbs out at the sight of you, you know that? I feel like I’m going to vomit right here and now, from hearing your voice. You liked it when I was violent, didn’t you? I’m feeling really ready to be violent right now.”

So saying, he released Corden’s hand and stepped forward. He suddenly stomped, hard- with a bare foot- on Fayroe’s thigh, and grabbed a fistful of snowy locks, forcing the fuchsia to look up at him. He bent down until their noses were nearly touching, Fayroe’s eyes blown wide.

“If you EVER come near me or my family again I’ll fucking rip your head off. I am so over you, I’ve jumped clear over both of the fucking moons. I’ve got a husband and morail who love me now, Fayroe. There’s no fucking room for you, except at the bottom of the fucking ocean.” He hissed, his voice low and dangerous like Corden had never heard before. For a moment, he could see the raging, violetblooded wriggler Makeno often lamented being.

Fayroe had begun to tremble, their eyes brimming with tears. “But- you’re the only one I have!” They croaked, swallowing hard.

Makeno snorted, his eyes burning. “No, Fay, you don’t even have me. You have no one, and as far as I care, it’s what you deserve.”

“Makeno, please-”

“Whatever sob story you’re about to spew like a broken sewer pipe, I don’t want to hear it. Everything you say is just a fucking lie, steeped in fermented shit water.” The violet snarled.

The violetblood flinched back as Fayroe suddenly reached up and seized his arm, claws digging into his bicep. “Makeno, he’s going to kill me!” The fuchsia shouted, finally getting out the words he’d been trying to say.

Makeno froze, as, at long last, he recognized the look in Fayroe’s eyes:

Fear.

“… Who’s going to kill you?” He asked against his better judgement.

“Godric, who else?! He- I- I failed him, Makeno, and now-”

“What do you mean, you failed him?” Makeno pulled away, wrenching Fayroe’s hand off of him, “Last time I saw you, you were quite fucking happy to be your ancestor’s successor.”

Fayroe shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. “A lot has changed since I saw you, Makey.”

Wincing as it pulled on the freshly closed wounds, they managed to get their jacket off. Hidden under the leather sleeves, some of the wounds still quite fresh, were hundreds of scars, all spelling out the same word, over and over: “Obey.”

“What did he- …” Makeno looked away, deciding he didn’t want to know. Taking a deep breath, he shut his eyes for a long moment. “… Your life is in danger? Real, actual, danger?”

“Y- yes?”

Makeno rolled his neck to make it crack. “Ohh… I wish Forsaken’s bullet had killed me. Fuck.” He muttered, rubbing his face and opening his eyes again. “Why did you come to me? Why not go to the Scorpions?”

Fayroe laughed hollowly. “The Empire’s Scorpions are done for, Makey. I don’t doubt Godric will have all of them hunted down and killed.” He shook his head. “You’re- You’re the only troll I could think of who might help me. Godric won’t think to send anyone after you, since the two of us broke up. You were the only safe choice.”

“And how do you know I’m safe?” Makeno asked mildly, curling his lip.

Fayroe gazed up at him for a long moment, before their gaze flicked over to their audience. “Because the old you wouldn’t have a goldblood clinging to him.” They said pointedly.

Makeno expression hardened into a glare, and he stepped in front of Corden protectively. “His blood color has nothing to do with it. He’s my morail.”

“I don’t have blood.” Corden added, unhelpfully.

“Right, sorry- their battery acid.”

Fayroe clearly didn’t know how to respond to that. They opened their mouth and shut it again. Finally, he hung his head, spreading his hands helplessly and letting out a deep sigh. “I don’t know, then. I- I don’t know you anymore, I guess. You’re still familiar, but you’re… not you. You look like my Makey, but… you’re not.” Their fin-fronds wilted, and they slowly raised their eyes again.

“I’m hypothetically on my knees here, begging for your help, Makey. I’m sorry, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? I’m sorry for what I did back then. You and I clearly have different memories of what happened, but- I’m sorry.” Fayroe raised their head, gazing up at Makeno through their bangs; privately, they weren’t even sure if the words that fell from their own lips were truthful.

Makeno set his jaw and said nothing for a long, long moment, his expression hard as he searched the fuchsiablood’s face. Corden sensed the moment the seadweller broke, by the silent sigh and slight dip in his fins.

“You’re a bad liar, Fay. Even if what you say is true, there’s no way in hell that I can believe it after everything you’ve done.” He took a deep breath, holding up a hand to stop the fuchsia as they opened their mouth, “But- fine. Unlike you, I unfortunately give a damn about trolls that aren’t myself. So… you can stay the day. But,” he added quickly as Fayroe perked up, “As soon as the sun fucking sets, I want you gone, you understand me? You’re not to come upstairs, or get within three feet of me or my quads. I’m taking all your fucking knives, and you can have them back when you leave and you’re to never, EVER come around my hive again after tonight, do you understand that?”

Fayroe’s eyes were once again brimming with tears. They nodded vigorously. “I understand. I’ll- I’ll go far, far away, Makey.” He whimpered, sniffling. Slowly, they rolled onto their knees and crawled forward, staring up and reaching for the violetblood hopefully. “Thank you, thank you, so much, Makey-”

“Don’t touch me. And stop calling me that; that’s a nickname for someone who isn’t around anymore.” Makeno growled, disgusted, as he took a step back, “I don’t care where you go.” He turned away. “Corden, could I ask you to set up the guestblock for them?”

“Sure.”

“Erm, can- can I request one thing…?” Fayroe asked hesitantly.

“What?” Makeno snapped.

“It’s just- my hop-beast.” Fayroe explained, his fins drooping, “I left her behind when I fled from Enforcer. I can’t leave her behind, she’s- she’s the only thing I have left.”

“I’m not going to go get your stupid rabbit.”

“Me, neither.” Corden agreed, “But… I know a pair of trolls who would be more than happy to break into Enforcer’s hive. I’ll give them a call.”

Fayroe let out a breath, relieved. “Thank you so much… er…”

“Corden.”

“Oh. Right. Um… nice to meet you?”

“No, it’s not.”

“If that’s all settled,” Makeno interrupted abruptly, turning on his heel and heading off the porch, “I’m leaving.”

“Where are you going?”

“To throw rocks into the ocean!”

[return-of-a-space-cowboy]

This was an idea that @poisonlove12 came up with while we were talking on discord so I had to write it.

🐙🐙🐙

I was planning of making it NSFW but I might do that in a part two if I get asked to.

The sea witch's curse (yandere sea witch Melone X female reader)

In the lowest depths of the sea a powerful creature resided. Deep in the canyons where the coral glowed and some of the most vicious of predictors lurked. Some say a purple hue would guide those brave enough towards their sweetest of dreams or their worst of nightmares.

The greatly feared witch of the sea, Melone sat in his lair, looking at what he most desired through the crystal he held. A poor unsuspecting human which had taken his fancy. An evil smirk grew on his lips as he heard the young females voice as she talked to her most trusted servent.

"How I wish to see the outside world, every night I dream of it all, the soft lush grass, the soft breeze to brush past my skin... And the ocean... I wish to see it with my own eyes, I want to see what marvels it holds" she sighed.

He heard of her wish to explore the outside world and her plans to finally escape from the lonesome life she feared she'd forever be trapped in.

"I will make my escape in the early morning of next Wednesday" were the the words that excited the lavender haired male beyond belief. It was perfect, too perfect. His sinister grin only grew more as he looked towards the human woman he had caged up for the soul purpose perfecting his solution to your happily ever after with him. The poor woman shook at her cage in fear of what his expression may have meant.

"You've served your purpose well but it seems I no longer have any use in you mortal..." The male said with amusement in his voice, he tried his best not to chuckle but a few still managed to come out of his mouth.

"Please, please let me go!" The woman pleaded, somehow managing to speak while being underwater.

"I'm afraid I can't... Your fate has already been sealed" he said as he gave a flick of his wrist which caught the attention of the shark like creature to approach the cage and wait before the male opened it.

"Junior, you must be so hungry" he simply said as he ignored the woman's screams before he swam over to his a wall full of bottles and containers.

"The venom of the crown of thorns..." he muttered as he grabbed a small bottle with one of his black tentacles decorated with rings of purple.

"A jellyfish's tendril..."

"The scale of a flying fish..." He muttered as he grabbed two containers and made his way back to the carnage the creature had left behind before grabbing the pinky finger that remained from what his junior had caused.

"And the flesh, blood and bone of a human" he said as he made his way to the cauldron.

It would only a matter of days before you were his.

🐚🐚🐚

You cautiously walked across the pier of the kingdom, holding the rags that you wore as close to you as possible. A few early rising citizens greeting you only for you to give a coy wave in response. You looked to the castle that stood proudly over the town, it wouldn't be long until the servents noticed your disappearance and that's why you needed to leave quickly.

You soon began to run as you saw the tall wall of stone that sheltered the town from the very waters that use to the town's life line. You satchel filled with maps, books, gold, jewels and more. This was your escape from the lifestyle that had been cursed upon you, confined to the castle for your whole life all because of your parents paranoia.

You felt across the stone surface, many years ago it didn't exist and this town was a flourishing fishers community, now the waters were filled with small crabs and trash. What made your grandfather build these walls, you may never know.

"Oh your majesty, what brings you out at this hour of the morning" a familiar voice cooed making you jump. You turned your head to see a familiar male, a man you had only seen a few times in the recent years of your life yet he seemed to know everything about you.

His long lavender hair flowed lightly in the breeze, revealing the scar across his left eye.

"Melone, you scared me to death!"  You exclaimed as you held your racing heart.

"There's no reason to be afraid..." He smiled before diverting his green eye from you to the wall.

"You're trying to find a way to the old abandoned fishing docks, aren't you?" He said in a mischievous tone. You swallow a lump in your throat. The male had never harmed you, in fact he was rather kind but you could never ignore that mysterious air about him, maybe it was the sultry tone that alway lingered in his voice or maybe it was how he never seemed to age. Either way you couldn't deny that male had motives of his own.

"If you're planning of finding a weak spot in the wall I wouldn't advise it, sixty years isn't enough to weaken a wall constructed like this" he continued.

"However I believe there is a underwater tunnel that allows the water to flow in through, I think I heard talks about a five foot shark getting through one" he said.

"Really, where are they?" You asked as your eyes sparkled with newfound hope which caused the males heart to flutter. He drew closer and draped an arm over your shoulder and used his hand to pull you chin to show you where the sea and land met while pointing to it with his free hand.

"Most of them are too deep to reach but over there should have one that you might just be able get through" he said in his signature sultry tone as he began to guide you over. His hand move to you forearm and gently rubbed it. The male relished in how close you were. A sinister smile dared to form on his lips as he realised how easily you were falling into his trap, soon you would be in his domain and he could shed this mortal disguise.

"Have a question, I don't know if you'll know the answer but-" you said before he put a finger over your lips, tracing them lightly.

"You can ask me any question, I'll know the answer"

"Why did my grandfather build this wall?" You asked. The male looked at you through the corner of his eye.

"He was afraid of what hid underneath the depths of sea, a creature that possessed great power... One that claimed the lives of his three older brothers" the male explained in a darkened tone.

"He feared for his life... Paranoia consumed him until his time on this earth ended" he continued as he continued to guide you to the very tunnel he used whenever he decided to come on land, at first the iron bars had been an issue but after a few decades the bars wore away and eventually snapped apart like twigs. He had been waiting decades to get revenge on the man who took his eye only to find out he died however curiosity got the best of the sinister creature when he heard about his granddaughter who had been isolated for her whole life, maybe out of pity the male decided to visit you whenever the castle held events. He had fallen absolutely smitten to say the least. You were almost perfect for him, the only flaw he saw in you was your mortality but over the past few months he had figured a way around that.

All he needed was for you to enter the water and he could put his method into action.

"It's just here" he said as he pointed to the planks underneath you.

"All you need to do is dive under and swim through the tunnel" he explained, you were eager to get in the water however that soon faded into worry as you began to splash around as your body began to sink.

"It's... It's too deep, I can't swim!" You began to panic. The male simply held his hands out for you to grab. He should of know that this would have been a problem.

"Your majesty, just kick your legs and lift your chin up" he instructed you, you followed his instructions and after a minute or so he let go and you gently bobbed up and down in the water.

"Now move your arms up and down in the water like how a bird flaps it's wings" he continued before his legs began to tremble causing him to nearly fall.

"Are you ok?" You asked. He felt sweat cover his body as he realised that sea water had gotten on his hands earlier; the potion was wearing off. This wasn't part of his plan.

He turned as he heard a frantic stampede of guards quickly approaching. The male almost wanted to pull at his hair in a rare case of frustion. Normally such an predicament wouldn't matter to him but the potion he had used to become human suppressed his powers and even after he reverted back to his original form it would leave him only able to perform weak spells for a day at least.

Without a second thought he dived into the water and grabbed onto you before pulling your body under the water with him. You began to trash around in his grip as he pulled you along. After a few seconds before he reached the the tunnel only to find to his displeasure that a new set of bars were there. He let out a groan as he felt his human legs begin to unravel as he resurfaced to allow you both to breath.

You desperately coughed and gasped for air. You eyes opened to see the royal guards Infront of you. You felt a feeling of guilt and shame well up in your chest, you knew you had been caught.

You tried your best to push away from the male but you felt several slimy tendrils wrap around your form.

"Melone... What's wrapped around me?" You squeaked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you but I'm afraid I have no other choice then to do this now" the male muttered as he pulled a blade against your chest, the blade had a lustrous gleam that made it look like mother of pearl. Your head was pulled back harshly as he wrapped something around your neck. He muttered a few lines in a foreign language before diving the blade into your chest, you saw the water around you turn red before glowing purplish hue, you felt no pain but still you passed out as the male dragged you under once more.

🐚🐚🐚

You groaned out as you finally regained consciousness. You opened your eyes to find yourself laying on-top of Melone's nude form. You you let out a groan in disgust of the scandalous situation you found yourself in.

You then noticed how weirdly the light shine and how you hair flowed like it had a mind of it's own, as well as how the lower half of Melone's body sprawled out and over you in such a weird way. It was only when you saw a school of fish swim past you that you realised where you were. You quickly held your breath as you pried the black and purple tentacles off of you and tried you hardest to swim to the surface. You tried your hardest to hold your breath but eventually you lungs gave in. You waited for the water to enter your lungs and you painful death to come but it didn't happen, instead you seemed to breath normally and the water escaped from the newly formed gills on your neck.

You continued to swim until you were just about to break the surface. You closed your eyes readying yourself to break the surface but you didn't. You opened your eyes to see that the surface seemed to turn into rubber, no matter how hard you tried you couldn't break it.

"I don't appreciate you swimminging off while I was asleep" a voice behind you cooed as you felt the slimy appendages rub up and down your legs. You turned around to see Melone in his new form, his lower half was like that of an octopus.

"What did you do to me?!" You screamed at the male. You wanted to cry but all you tears mixed just became part of the sea.

"I granted your wish, you so desperately wanted to escape the life of a locked up princess" he explained in a prideful tone.

"You wanted to explore the sea so badly I thought I'd give you the ability to see more the any mortal could" he continued.

"No... No this... This isn't what I wanted" you sobbed as you covered your face with you hands as you began to sink.

"Oh dear, then you should of been careful for what you wished for" he said in a mother's tongue and he wrapped himself around you once more.

"No let go of me! Get away from me you monster!" You screamed as you thrashed in his grasp.

With his hand Melone traced the choker that now graced your neck, he admired his work now knowing that you were now his and his alone.

"My sweet, little darling... I know your scared, I know that everything is so new to you but I promise you I'll keep you safe... Nobody would dare to harm what belongs to the feared sea witch" he cooed.

"Just think of my little gift to you as that of an engagement as you humans call it" he sweetly whispered in your ear which only scared you more.

"Just think about it..." He muttered in pure bliss as he used one of his tentacles to force you eye contact to him.

"We'll be a wonderful pair of lovers and just think about how beautiful our little children will be" he continued.

"Children!" You screamed.

"Of course, isn't the deepest form of love when a man sows the seeds of love within his darling" he cooed. You face grew red and your body stiffened at the thought, how would he even do such a thing with you?

"If you so desperately wish to leave me I'll allow it but you'll be on your own... No one can break the spell and no one will even dare to look at you when they see you adorned with my work" he slyly spoke.

"Why would you do this?" You continued to sob.

"I already told you, I did it out of love, I did this so we could have a future together" he explained as he brushed his fingers though your hair.

"But we barely even know each other..."

"I have an all seeing eye dear, I can watch you whenever I please" he said before licking his lips.

"May I add, you've got quite the womanly figure under all those layers of clothes... Perfect to bare my children" he commented with a gleam of lust in his eye.

"You Pervert!" You screamed as you began to struggle once more.

"Stop making excuses already, I've claimed you as mine but if your so insistant to refuse then I might just give you an even worse curse... Maybe I'll turn you into a little fish and cage you up or I might condemn you to the same fate of all my enemies" he slyly said as all of his tentacles squeezed your form tightly.

"So are you going to behave for me or will I have to turn you into a guppy?" He asked in a stern tone. His eye filled with rage.

[talldarkandroguesome]

13th of Morning Star, Third Entry

Sahan brought Tel and I clothing as we waited by where Cadwell teleported us in. Tel seemed to be in shock and I decided they probably needed some time. They were trying to keep their modesty as we drew the eyes of the merchants and city dwellers alike. 

I cared little for my bared body and so I made sure to stretch and languish as an entertainment for those sparing a look in our direction.

Once dressed, Tel was waiting for Er-Jaseen to return with the others. I took the opportunity to go and get a bottle of some sort of liquor, from the taste of it a very rushed whiskey of some sort or another. It felt like fire from tongue to belly and was the perfect remedy to what we had been through. I returned and sat besides Tel. I asked if I could get them anything, food, a drink, some intimacy. They wrapped their arms around me and took the bottle I offered them readily.

We stayed with our arms around another, occasionally kissing  and passing the bottle back and forth. At one point I caught Lyris trying not to look in our direction so I waved at her.

She tried to look away even harder, so I called out to her and she came over, Sahan and Cadwell behind her. I patted the ground next to me and she sat down. I offered her the bottle which she took with a thankful nod. As she took a drink, I kissed her cheek. She seemed a bit surprised and I noticed a flash of something cross Sahan’s face with a twitch of his mouth, but I just smiled and had more to drink.

It was not too long before a portal opened up. Then another. And another. Then even more. And from these portals, a thunder of black soul gems began to pour out forming massive piles that stood half as tall as the buildings in the city. People in the city came out to see what the horrible cacophony was caused by.

We knew that these were likely to be all the souls that had been stolen from people like us. We all went to watch what was happening. It was mesmerizing.

And once the piles finished spewing crystals, they closed back up. Tel continued to stare at the piles for a while. I began looking around to see how many piles there were and to try and calculate how many souls there must have been when I saw a flash of movement. Tel dove into a pile, their arm outstretched. As they dug in, the top of the pile began to fall downward, falling on top of them and soon Tel could not be seen, buried beneath a pile of large soul gems.

Soon enough they came back out, cradling a gem in their arms. I smiled. I knew what it meant. I asked Tel if they had found their soul. They just nodded, staring at it, almost in disbelief. I gave my congratulations. I know how difficult it had been for Tel and their beliefs to be without their soul and could empathize with that horrible aching, cold pain.

Then there was the sound of another portal and I turned to see Er-Jaseen, now no longer glowing or clad in Akatosh’s armor. They fell to their knees and Lyris and I rushed over to his side, the others soon behind us.

I exclaimed my joy and how he had managed to succeed. Yet for the great deed done, he looked utterly devoid of all energy. I offered him the whiskey and he accepted it gratefully, then drinking it until the bottle was completely empty. 

As I looked him over for injury I asked what if anything else I could provide to him. But he was too distracted by the sight of the soul gems that towered around the city. He spoke in a disbelieving voice as he said, she did it, then walked towards one of the piles. When he noticed Tel, he congratulated Tel on finding theirs, then turned to me and said mine was among these. I knew it was, but with as high as the piles were, I could only say it was... somewhere.

That seemed to spark something in Er-Jaseen, for he began calling to the gawkers for any vestiges in the city to be brought forward. Then he and I spoke of the overwhelming number of soul gems, the sheer volume of souls, lives, that had been stolen.

Then the gravity of Er-Jaseen’s actions struck me anew and I faced him, gave a formal and sincere thanks, and kowtowed before him. I wanted to ensure that I gave him the greatest respect I knew how to give, then with my head still lowered, my head on my hands, I told him that he had given me my life and family back. That he had saved Nirn. Saved the Pact. That I, and my House were forever in his debt.

Then other people came and gave him hugs and slaps on the back and cheers. the celebration of those of us who were there for the worst of it surrounded him with joy and praise.

At some point, Er-Jaseen asked about were Tharn was. I had assumed the worst and that he had not survived. And yet, it turned out that as soon as he had made it to the Hollow City, while the others were still recovering from being surrounded, he ran off and to a portal, presumably to his homeland.

Lyris wondered aloud if it had just been to steal the Amulet of Kings, but Er-Jaseen assured him that, according to what Meridia had told him, it would take many long years for the amulet to regain any power. Given Tharn’s age, I presume that he would not be able to get much out of the amulet unless he was willing to go down the slippery slope of sacrificing another life to it. I think he has likely seen enough to know that it would end up for the worst.

As Tel began digging through the soul gem piles again, Galerion arrived. I had mixed feelings about it. Of course he needed to be involved, he would have to help organize the process of sorting soul gems and trying to return them to those who they belonged to. And yet, I could not help but imagine that he was going to try and claim more than his fair share of responsibility for Er-Jaseen’s success. I made a note to myself that I should immediately begin to make songs that put Galerion properly in his realm of influence. Yes, he helped organize, but he was not the reason for the success of any single part of stopping the Planemeld. And I know that I want to solidify him as his proper place in history, an aid, support, organizer. Nothing more.

Er-Jaseen reported that, according to Meridia Herself, the tear in the veil between Nirn and Oblivion was repaired. Of course, Galerion began working a spell and did so for a long time before agreeing that it had been. As though the word of Nirn’s hero and a god were not enough for him to trust, only his own magicka. The arrogance.

Just as Er-Jaseen asked if there were vestiges left in the city and Galerion began to explain how many there may or may not be, Tel came over to me, another soul gem held gingerly in a palm. I did not need to ask to know that it was mine. I could feel Tel’s warmth inside me from where their hand was on the crystal.

My instinct was to try and get my soul back into me. I could feel a longing from not only myself, but from my soul inside the crystal, to try and get back into my body. I held it to my chest, half hoping it would just move from the soul gem into me.

Of course, it did no such thing. There was no way it could be so simple as that.

Then a fear struck me. If my soul were back in my body, I would become mortal once more. This body would be the last one I would get. And if I was to be killed in some manner or another, that would be it.

Yet, if I hid my soul gem somehow, then I could not be killed. It was something the House had feared, for they did not wish for me to become heir to the Grandmaster and then not be able to be killed. But I also knew that given the circumstances that uncle Tanval passed away, I was likely to be an even greater target of assassination than usual.

I did not want to be able to die. The pain of death was no gentle, warm light or peaceful darkness. It was a shot of pain and a twist of anguish. Sure, I would go on to an afterlife. Yet it would hardly be pleasant.

Then again, how could I be sure my soul gem would be protected? Someone only had to discover its location and destroy it. Or worse yet, someone find it by accident and use it, effectively ending me without any warning.

A sickening fear took hold in my belly. I felt nauseated.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I know I must have started, so lost in my thought as I had been. Lyris gave a chuckle and asked if we were ready to get back to Nirn.

I said I was very eager to get back.

Of course, I still felt ill from fear, but I did not want to be in this horrible plane any longer. I needed to get out of Coldharbour. I did not know what to do beyond that, but I needed to escape out.

Tel came with me with a smile and Er-Jaseen followed shortly afterwards.

Valos waited at the portal and asked us what Tel and Er-Jaseen and I were doing back here since he thought he had just sent us back to Nirn.

I tried to keep things light by saying we had to take a direct teleportation for our hero to face the Prince of Pain and give it back to him. Lyris laughed.

Sahan said he wanted to go back to Hammerfell and help his friend. Lyris said she was going with him. I could feel that there was definitely much developing between them. So we all wished them luck, since we were going back east. I gave Sahan a big kiss on the lips and Lyris another on the cheek and the rest exchanged hugs. Then they were off.

I turned to Er-Jaseen and Tel and asked if they would like to rest at my manor for a day or so, for old time’s sake.

Er-Jaseen looked down and said that there was something he had been wanting to do for a while back in Blackmarsh, but that he had been unable to do without his soul.

I told him that of course I understood and that we would not keep him from it, since I assumed it was to do with communing with his Hist tree.

Er-Jaseen shifted for a moment, face down before he looked up and sheepishly said that he was done with his male stage of life and needed the hist to take him into his female stage.

Well, that made a lot of sense. The Hist was integral to such a change. I congratulated him and said I expected that it was very exciting. After a moment of staring at me, a large grin spread across his face and he said he was very excited indeed.

Then he added that he was also going to see what he could learn back in Blackmarsh that could help him to try and save the Hist tree and villagers that were currently stranded in Coldharbour. I reminded him that I would assist in any way I could, he had only to ask. He thanked me and said he would do so if he needed additional support, but that in the meantime the Mages Guild was working with the villagers on ways to ween the tree off of Molag Bal’s poison so that they had a hope of transplanting it back on Nirn.

I invited Er-Jaseen to stay with me anytime he liked and he agreed to come and visit when he was in Morrowind again. I told him I looked forward to being able to converse under less stressful circumstances, then I kowtowed again. He looked a little confused, but I could not do anything less in my gratitude.

We said our goodbyes. I gave him a deep kiss. Tel gave him a hug. And then he was off, leaving Tel and I standing there with Valos, a question lingering in the air between us. And I realized that Tel had only been with me all this time for a single reason. To retrieve their soul.

Now that they had it back, would all that we had gone through together simply faded away to nothing?

I looked at Tel and asked where we should go. I half hoped they would say some foreign destination for us to spend a day or two relaxing, or back to Mournhold just to have a last night together.

Instead, Tel very excitedly said they wanted to get straight back to Vivec, the city, and presumably, the god as well. I smiled, forcing that twisting feeling of abandonment as deep down as I could. I said I guessed they had to get back to their post and stop playing around.

Tel spoke happily about how they had had to take leave the whole time and certainly would need to get back and get filled in on all that had happened since they were gone. They mentioned my duties to my House as well. I supposed they sensed my sadness, for they said empathically that we would keep in touch by letters and that if I wanted I could come and meet Vivec with them.

I said I would not mind going to the city to make sure they got settled back in and to share a last real meal, but that it might be a bit awkward for me to be around Vivec. I hoped it would seem more from my Velothi beliefs than from the fact that I do not enjoy the feeling of Vehk’s looming, levitating form. The short time I had an audience with him in the past I did not enjoy it. How could someone once mortal ever live up to my Prince’s standard, to Her power or grace? Warrior poet? More the title of a mortal noble than one who attained godhood. And I cannot stand the condescending way Vehk stares at you, like you are a particularly interesting specimen, even though he was once no different than any other mortal.

Tel frowned, but I told Valos we would like to go to Vivec and he nodded, changing the portal over for us. Tel took me by the arm before I even had the chance to thank Valos for everything and we were pulled through.

As I stood there, trying to clear my head from the dizzying remnants of the abrupt teleportation, I heard a discussion of two of the mages in the guild talking about how Meridia had helped with stopping the Planemeld and now it Meridia’s Summoning Day and how they suspected a link between both things. One of the mages said it would be a perfect opportunity to give offereings to Meridia.

I realized that when we had left for the final battle it had been Meridia’s Summoning Day. I wondered idly if Varen had planned that, knowing of her power and what she might offer to the fight.

I then realized that, although it had felt like two days since we left, it had, in fact, only been a few hours.

The passage of time in Oblivion is so frustratingly disorientating.

Now we are waiting for the clearance to go from the hub here in Mournhold onto Vvardenfell. I know I should not go with Tel. And yet, it feels as though there is so much unresolved between us, though I could not name anything that is. I... I just need to not be alone right now.

[weaselle]

where can i find ur ant cthulu post i saw it on imgur and i wanna reblog it thank

This is the BEST questionanswer A: to to my tumblr and search “cthulhu”Anser B: Here’s everything I’ve written about it so far…Firstly, um, I had just had to leave my dog in a better home than I could give him while I was homeless living in a tent… that’s my only excuse. AnywaySecondly, In the interest of crediting folks, I was inspired to write the last installment by littlesons, who said, oh I can’t find it rn but they were very nice and said something like they loved it and wanted to know how it ended.I wrote the first of three installments in response to probablybadrpgideas and 20thcenturyvole  who posted, respectively “if Cthulhu can be summoned by humans who are so far beneath it, why can’t humans be summoned by ants? The answer is they should be.”and“Well if a bunch of ants formed a circle in my house I’d certainly notice, try to figure out where they’d all come from, and possibly wreak destruction there.“_______________________________________________________________________That’s why knowing and correctly pronouncing the true name is so important to the ritual. Imagine how impossible it would be to not go take a look if the circle of ants started chanting your name.And they’re like, you can’t leave because we drew a line made of tiny crystals - now you have to do us a favor.And you’re like, let’s just see where this goes “yup, you got me… what’s the favor?”and usually the favor is like, “kill this one ant for us” or “give me a pile of sugar” and you’re like… okay? and you do, because why not, it isn’t hard for you and boy is this going to be a fucking story to tell, these fucking ants chanting your name and wanting a spoonful of sugar or whatever.And SOMEtimes you get asked for things you can’t really do, one of them, she’s like, “I love this ant but she won’t pay any attention to me, make me important to her” and you’re like… um? how? So you just kill every ant in the colony except the two of them, ta-da! problem solved! and the first ant is like *horrified whisper* “what have I done” …._____________________________________________________________________Meanwhile another colony of ants invades your house, and evidently that last ant has gotten some of them to join her in a circle and taught them the ritual because you’re coming out of the bathroom one day and you hear the ants singing your name. Sure enough it’s that ant, but she’s dark and fucked up now, and she’s like, “kill the queen. I will rule this colony” and you’re like, sure, I guess I kinda owe her, and you do it. And she manages to become queen, and they worship you. Which is cool, you’re not, you know, very important in the human world, but to these ants you’re practically all-powerful. You can’t be just, doing everything a bunch of ants tell you to, though, when would you watch netflx? So you tend to only show up for super important ants; you teach them some extra words and when hear them you go see what’s up. Usually. Also just to your name, if you’re bored. And, sometimes some of the ants are like, tell us more human names, and you’re kind of jealous of the idea of some other human diluting your private godhood, so you refuse. Your roommate Greg is like, yo, that’s fucking awesome, I want ant worshipers! But whenever he approaches any, they run away, because it turns out that the illusion of control from the named summoning is what makes them feel safe around you. That’s great, because Greg is a dick who never does the dishes, and one day you decide to teach Greg a lesson.So you show up at the colony, and you’re like, “yo, witch queen, did you think there would be no price for all these things? Your colony must do something for me, go to the Room of the Housemate, I will meet you there.” And you go sit on the couch and play Overwatch for a while. You’re like, right there, you can clearly see the ants all marching along the wall to Greg’s room, but to them you’re not even there, you’re so far away they can’t see you. It takes them, like, an ant week to make the journey. They have to figure out ways to get over and around things. Some of them drown, or get stepped on by the dog, or whatever. You win a game, you lose a game, you look over, and they’re trying to get through some cobwebs… looks like they’re mostly going to live, you keep playing, you look over, okay they’re all in there, and you stand up and walk over and by the time they’ve chanted your name once, you’re there. “right, hold on” and you look around and you see a twelve-pack of Greg’s precious fucking soda, that he keeps in his room and refuses to ever share, even though it’s a communal food household and you share your hot chocolate with him all the time. So you gather the ants unto you, and you poke a little hole in each of the sodas and you leave the room to the sound of the ants rejoicing. Greg will suspect of course, but he’ll never be able to prove the ants didn’t chew holes in the plastic and steal his stupid drinks. But later, while you’re at work, Greg destroys most of the colony in a rage, and you come home to find the witch queen gasping her last “the Dew of the Mountain, which you had us steal, was cursed - and so I lay my curse on you” and then she dies.Well first of all, you don’t really believe in curses, but last month you didn’t believe ants could know your name, so that’s unsettling. And second of all, you feel kind of bad. You know, not SUPER bad, cause she’s like, an ant. But still. And most importantly, third of all, Greg must pay.But Greg has done more than kill a bunch of the colony. As you wait for eggs and pupae to replenish the ant population, you discover he has found some ants that didn’t go on the Mountain Dew raid, and he’s spared them, told them his name, and made himself a good sized cult in YOUR fucking ant queendom.Greg has started locking his door. So now you NEED the ants. Once again you direct the ants loyal to you to journey to Greg’s room. You meet them at the door. A locked door means nothing to the ants, they don’t even know there is a door, and can barely perceive the difference between it being open and shut - either passing the threshold on the floor regardless, or being on its surface no matter the position. But you need them to get inside. You’re going to put itching powder in his underwear drawer and leave a raw fish under his bed. So you instruct the leading party of ants how to go into the Cave of Keyhole, and position the Magic Megaliths inside just right to enable the opening of the Great Door and allow you to pass into the Realm of Housemate.Crouched by the door, you can hear when your ants are met by a party of Greg Cultists, who insist that if the Great Door is opened, the colony will be doomed. There is fighting. Your ants prevail, the lock tumblers are moved into place, and you swing the door open…To find Greg! In his room all along! It’s a trap! His cultists attack you! I mean, they can’t do much real harm, but it kind of hurts and it’s super annoying. You order your ants to attack him, and they do, but he storms over and pours bleach down the colony entrance.Now you and Greg are at war, and you both understand the unspoken rules to your fight. You can’t do things directly to each other, why, that would be assault. But anything you can get your ants to do is fine, because “she told the ants to do it to me” isn’t going to get very far with any authority figures that get involved. Later, nursing your anger, you confer with your few remaining ants and stare moodily at your new prize, the ant farm that came in the mail. Bullet ants don’t usually get along with sugar ants, but you’re betting they will if a god tells them to. Meanwhile, you’ve got a laptop schematic to go over with your high priestess. It’s finals week, and if you time it right, he’ll lose everything.…You look down into the summoning ritual. The current high priestess, Zé, is an ant of great influence and personality - you quite like her, inso far as a human can be friends with an ant that worships them. You thought the new queen would become the next high priestess, but according to Zé the queens don’t like to come out of the colony after they shed their wings. Plus they are very busy laying eggs and supervising the care of their ant larvae. Zé says it’s a better deal for you, this way your high priestess can have the time and energy to really serve your interests, and wield an authority among the colony that is purely yours - no conflict of interest, and no baby making duties. It’s really just what’s best for both you and the colony queen to have her as high priestess, she informs you, making you laugh at her flattery-wrapped ambition.There’s no laughing this evening though. It’s serious business on the docket tonight.“O wise and ancient entity of power, you grace us with your presence!” and for formality’s sake, she intones the additional ritual greeting from their holy books “You Look Fantastic, Have You Done Something New With Your Hair?” Ants don’t really understand hair. You respond as you have become accustomed “Thank You, Yes.” It’s just easier. They mean well.Mystic greeting complete, Zé and the rest of the dark clergy move straight to business. Several 10s of them line up in formation, creating a diagram of the apartment complex. You had to coach them into how to make it, as far as they are concerned it’s a complex sigil that conveys knowledge to you - for creatures that traverse the building in long journeys along the pipes in the walls and in the spaces between the lower ceiling and upper floor, it looks nothing like the apartment complex as they know it. Zé claims to understand it, but secretly you suspect she’s just mostly cementing her authority among the clergy. She has, usefully, memorized which parts of the sigil correspond with what parts of the building, and that’s good enough for your purposes.“O mighty being, we have done as instructed. Our scouts had to search wide for them, but we have left the corpses of many termites in all the locations you specified, every night this week.“Very good,” you assure them, “and the Greggorites?”“Our spies among them have learned of their next attack. We should be able to influence their timing somewhat.”“Good. And..” your eyes narrow, “the other thing?”“Ah, yes.” Zé’s antennae wave and dip in that way you know means she is uncomfortable. “to the best of our ability to find out, the… Antifreeze initiative was entirely conceived of by the Demon Lord Greg.”“Just Greg,” you tell Zé with bitter hatred as tears threaten to spill down your cheeks. “Greg is not a lord, just a fucking prick who’s going to get what’s coming to him. I swear by all of creation he will.”“Is there…” Zé trailed off and tried again. “O Deity of my heart, far be it from me to question Your Exaltedness, but help your poor servant to understand… your plans have become, they seem perhaps, I am sure I am wrong, they seem, overly audacious? Your recent change in demeanor has made some, not me!”she interjects hastily, “but some of the less devout among my sistren, have become concerned…”Your fists clench. “I don’t expect you to get it. I’m pretty certain none of you could possibly understand.” Your voice breaks. You clench your teeth. You won’t, you won’t cry in front of your ant worshipers. You lean down and say in the strangled half whisper that is the only way you can force the words past the lump in your throat, “He killed my dog, Zé…”The ants flee the sound of your terrible wailing.The great Finals Erasure had worked to more devastating effect than you had anticipated, and things had… escalated. Then Greg proved himself to be less human that the ants that had turned out to be such surprising little beings. You strongly suspected, of course. Now you are sure: the orders for the heinous act came from him. And so, there are things that have to be done. You call the ants back out of hiding, and get to work.In the end, it was easier than you thought it would be. You talk to all the neighbors, without Greg. You hide the relevant pieces of mail. You have the scuba gear and the stuff from the sex shop shipped to a friend’s house. You ensure your spies among the Greggorites have escape plans, though Zé assures you they are ready to sacrifice themselves to the cause.“I’m not that kind of Deity,” you tell her.The night before, your ants slip a double dose of tylenol p.m. into Greg’s milkshake. You almost laugh; all your efforts to make sure there is only soup to make for dinner, and he comes home with Burger King.He sleeps so soundly that he never comes close to waking the whole time you are attaching the padded bondage equipment to his limbs and hiding with him in the closet. The walk through by the company inspectors that morning is a tense moment, but as you suspect, they don’t open the closets. After they leave to do their work outside, you finish your work inside, tying Greg to his bed. By the time he starts to wake up, you are sitting in a chair in the doorway to his bedroom, with your mask on. The air is beginning to thicken and discolor. Greg coughs around his ball gag and opens his eyes. You feel curiously calm and empty.“Hi, Greg.” Your voice is muffled, “You like my dive mask?”Greg makes an angry questioning noise, spread eagled to the full extension of his limbs. “Oh, yeah, that must be uncomfortable. Can’t give you enough slack to jerk against the ropes, though, or you might leave tell-tale bruises through the padding.” More angry noises, coughing.“Hhhmm? Oh, did I forget to tell you? It’s termite day, Greg, they’ve tented the house. That’s Sulfuryl Fluoride you’re breathing. You’ll cough for a bit, you’ll throw up, and your heart will stop.” He’s thrashing around as much as the ropes will allow, which isn’t a lot. He’s pretty energetic about it, though; maybe he can’t hear you over his efforts.“You shouldn’t have meddled around with godhood, it didn’t suit you. Power compromised your judgement. You definitely shouldn’t have fucking killed my dog, Greg”You’re suddenly filled with rage. You need to know he hears you. You stride over to the bed and grab him by the throat. Not too hard, you try to remember through your anger, no bruises. The grip is enough to make Greg stop thrashing and look at you with wide wide eyes. “YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE FUCKING KILLED NAYA YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! WHY? WHY? HOW COULD YOU!? SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU!” Just as suddenly, your anger is gone. You feel tired. You look down at him and shake your head.”Time to die, Greg.” You cross the room and sit back down in your chair in the doorway.Watching him die isn’t easy, but it’s not as hard as watching Naya suffer through acute kidney failure. Afterwards, you take off all the bondage gear, throw it in a duffel bag. You leave through the back, rolling out from under the fumigation tent against the back fence, and packing the scuba gear into the duffel before you climb into the neighbors yard.A month later, you’re moving from town to town. The colony has become so large you’re going to need a bigger truck full of clay for them to live in. Maybe an old Uhaul.The ants bring you a newspaper. They bring you everything now, food, money, information. Word of how you value the life of each individual ant has spread through the colony, and reports brought back from the apartment by scouts confirming your status as a godslayer has …elevated… their worship of you. You open the newspaper to find Greg’s death has made the papers. No suspicion of foul play despite the exterminator company lawyers insisting on an autopsy. Tylenol p.m. in his system accounted for his presence in the building, it was decided, and the failure of the inspectors to notice Greg in bed during their walk through was settled out of court, paid off by their insurance. The ants bring you a conga line of grapes, peeling them for you while you stare off into space. You’re going to have to teach them how to disable cameras - the leaked security footage of hundred dollar bills slipping themselves out under the bank doors has caused a bit of a stir on some parts of the internet… you eat another grape, and count your money. As usual you put half of it in an envelope, uncapping a sharpie to write “From Naya” on it.The ants will slip it under the door of the local animal shelter for you tonight.END

[devilsknotrp]

Congratulations, Maria! You have been accepted for the role of Abel Hawker (FC Change: Jeremy Irons). Woah. I may be biased, but I was blown away by your interpretation of Abel. He’s a human being made up of dichotomies and you found such a beautiful way to write him. His gentle yet terrifyingly stern manner of speaking, his war hero past, everything is perfect. We cannot wait to see what kind of Mayor your Abel will turn out to be! Please have a look at this page prior to sending in your account.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Name: Maria Age: 23 Pronouns: She/her Timezone: GMT Activity estimation: Every other day Triggers: REDACTED

IN CHARACTER

Full name: Abel Byron Hawker Age : 05/08/1923 Gender: Male Pronouns: Him/Her Sexuality: Straighter than the Tennessee Line Occupation: Mayor of Devil’s Knot Connection to Victim: Abel Hawker knows pretty much everyone in Devil’s Knot, whether they realise it or not. The same could be said for the Goode’s. Though he never personally interacted much with Brian, Abel certainly positioned himself at the forefront of the search. After all, a Mayor has to take responsibility for the safety of his citizenry. In Abel’s case, he does so by putting pressure on the police on Ms Goode’s behalf. Not that she asked him to, of course. Alibi: According to Abel and members of the Chapter, he attended his regular meeting after church but left early due to a headache and went home. It was, like many evenings, the usual for the Mayor. Faceclaim: Jeremy Irons

WRITING SAMPLE

The Michigan sun poked through the veranda, the soft, not too warm glow basked Mayor Hawker’s face in its orange hue. A curl of smoke cut through the clear blue skies as it wafted from the end of his thickly rolled cigar. He remained like that, leaning on his rocking chair, its long swinging creeks creating a lulling song that he could and had listened to most of his life.

It was his father’s chair, and his father’s father likely sat on something not too dissimilar. Carved from the wood of one of the many red oaks that lined the property, it represented everything the Hawker’s were about. Longevity, home-grown and standing the test of time. He fingers, rough and coarse from the years, ran over the expertly polished arms, just appreciating the craftsmanship as well as the weather.

As he sat, relaxing and looking out, a little song crept into his mind. It drew a slow forming, gentle smile on his lips, his crisp paper-like skin pulling with it. There was no one around, and that was just how he liked it in long afternoons like this. For a moment, he let his eyes closed, heeled shoe clicking against the hardwood of the patio, drumming the beat for an old ditty.

“I loved a girl in Saginaw, Michigan…” His voice was underlined with a faint croak that matched the eek of his chair, the tune rumbling deep in his chest to produce the consummate voice of an older singer.

An image began to form in his mind as he took another deep intake of his cigar. Him and his boys in the brushy fields of Pyongtaek, the beginning to the Korean war stretching out ahead of them. Benny banged his metal mug against the table with all the enthusiasm of Buddy Rich reborn, and Tony clapped completely offbeat as Abel and Ryan started up a song. It wasn’t this one, but that didn’t matter. He could still see them now, their eyes bright and ready to return home as heroes. It wouldn’t take long, after all, it was just some country folks who had caught up with the Russian’s red curtain, that’s what they thought. “The daughter of a wealthy, wealthy man…”

The image of Benny sprawled across the dirt floated up in Abel’s mind as the song continued. His guts had been a pollock-esque splash of reds and browns, glistening in the summer heat. Next to him, Tony was slumped with a bullet hole in the centre of his head.

“But he called me, that son of a Saginaw fisherman…”

And Ryan? Well, Ryan never quite came back right. They found him drowned in the river just two months before the end.

“And not good enough, to claim his daughter’s hand…”

The front gate creaked down the long garden path that led up to the porch, causing Abel to crack an eye open. He pulled the cigar reluctantly from his lips, licking the spot that it had sat on, its warm presence still a ghost against the skin.

“Now I’m up here in Alaska, looking around for gold…”

He continued, a little louder, letting the words drift towards his new guest. The flash of the Sherrif office’s brown uniform was all he needed to see, continuing to idly rock as if he hadn’t noticed anything at all. Only once the visitor was climbing the porch steps did he deign to speak rather than sing away.

“I was startin’ to wonder if you were gonna turn up, my boy.”

The youth was a rookie; it only took one glance to tell. Blonde hair and greener than the fields, the 20-something kid awkwardly grasped his belt and tried to stand straight, but it was evident with the uncertain flicker of his eyes around the large Hawker estate that it was all for show. Abel thought he recognised him, one of those good for nothing kids that got raised on the poorer side of town. Typical that George Adam would give these economic rejects a chance. “Urm…ur…Mayor Hawker, sorry to bother you sir but-”

“Aye, aye, I’m aware boy, you gotta do your due diligence and get the story of what I was doing that night.”

Abel slowly pulled himself off his chair, with all the speed of a seaswept turtle, which was entirely on purpose, as anyone who knew Hawker knows that the Mayor kept himself in good health. He gave the standard ‘ah’ that an old person was expected to give after completing menial physical tasks as if they had climbed the summit of Everest. With a wave, he gestured the kid officer to follow, pushing open his ornately carved front door and shuffling into the Hawker estate.

Estate was a polite word for it. It was a mansion in pretty much every regard, an ancestral home that would immediately put anyone at unease. There was just a vastness to it that put one on the back foot, as they look up at the ceiling that seemed almost as far as the moon, it’s large traditional beamed structure overlaying a pure white paint job. The walls were a half mix of beaming, polished to a shine, wooden panelling and delicate fleur-de-lis sprouting wallpaper that made it feel akin to a royal’s home.

Confronted by a large hallway that could easily fit three people shoulder to shoulder and a long, winding staircase that enticed one to see what the three upper floors held, the rookie police officer did what anyone would have - he froze.

Abel for his part kept walking a little down the way until he glanced over he shoulder, that grin coming out again. It was the full simper that belonged to a man a few decades his junior, but he wore it now just as he had in his youth, the life in it flashing in his eyes like claps of thunder. It that moment, it was as if he filled the space of the whole house, as grand and extensive as it was. “Come on boy, ain’t time for slack jaws, your boss will have your ass if you take too long.”

The cop shook his head free, quickly stepping after his guide. The house on its part kept an eye on the visitor, the walls lined with sprawling quantities of photos, whose subjects stared out to those passing. It went from old sepia constructs that desperately tried to fight the effects of ageing behind their glass windows to much more recent copies, showing the Mayor, his own children and a plethora of grandchildren.

Eventually, they turned into one of the adjourning rooms, revealing a parlour lounge. Abel didn’t waste a moment, his body immediately cut to the side of the room where a tray sat with a collection of alcohol, whiskey duly placed in a decanter. The rookie didn’t even have a chance to speak before the older man was thrusting a delicate crystal tumbler with the perfect amount of ice and bourbon in it.

“Ah..” The officer blinked after what seemed like an age, finally processing what was being offered and responding to it with a gentle shake of his head.

“I’m flattered sir, but I’m duty I can-”

“Hogwash.” Abel cut in. His voice had a sense of power to it, a thick with husky confidence that was at once both honeyed in Michiganian drawl and intense in its strength. It was almost like being hugged and punched at the exact same moment, it winded you, and you found yourself wondering what exactly happened.

“Ain’t your ma told you that it’s rude to refuse what is offered in a man’s home? It’s just one glass, ain’t no one gonna know.” He pressed the glass into the boy’s chest, and let it go, forcing the poor chap to hold it to avoid it following.

Abel turned around to sit on one of his lounge chairs, the movement hiding the sly smirk that drew across his lips. It always was so easy to play people to a fiddle. More often than not, all it took was a level of firmness, confidence that just begged people to question you and say no. Most people fold because humans, by nature, try to escape conflict. It only took fighters like the Hawker patriarch to know how to only bend to your own will.

“Aren’t you having some as well, sir?”

Perched on his old leather chair, Abel gestured at the boy again, his old veiny fingers beckoning him like a lazy puppeteer. He seemed almost like a relaxed king, his chin lifted in what could be confused for an old man trying to adjust his sight but was, in fact, concealed contempt. “Me? Oh no, I’m going on eighty, son, I gotta pick my battles with the booze. So, whatcha gonna ask me?”

Deputy took a sip of the bourbon likely to try to avoid causing offence and cleared his throat awkwardly before drawing closer to the Mayor. “Well sir, I just need to know your whereabouts and actions on the night of Saturday, 5th October.”

“Boy, if I told you about my whole day, we’re gonna be here till morn, how about you just give me some times to work with eh?”

A blush drew across the officer’s cheek, and he took a longer sip of the bourbon, trying to drown out the embarrassment. It was quite the social awkwardness to waste the Mayor’s time after all. “Ah yes well, any time in the afternoon would be helpful, urm, sir.”

“Well, I spend most of my evenings by the church, meetings and such with the local community. Wasn’t any different that way. I was doing an after prayer meeting at the church like I’ve been doing for longer than you’ve probably been alive.” It didn’t seem like a cutting remark, more just a flag clearly planted. It spoke clearly to the situation 'I’ve been doing this for a very long time. Have respect’.

“Yes, of course, sir, I’m sure the group will also confirm that, ah…um…” The poor newbie was struggling on the whole 'interviewing’ process, he juggled between his glass and getting a notepad from his shirt pocket. In what could only be described as an awkward tangle of limbs, the deputy eventually flicked to a page of notes and setting down his glass, he starts to write.

“Did you do anything after that, sir?”

Abel paused. It was just a minutia of movement, a brief hesitation that was entirely missable. He had to think about what he wanted to say for a moment, which was a rarity. “I got a headache, my age you know, soon as you get a whiff of a cold it hits you hard. So I came home early, and just…relaxed.”

“Of course, understandable, sir.” The youngster gave a nervous smile that likely was trying to be charming, though Abel barely gave it the time of day. Took more like cordial social interactions to actual gain his favour. He was at his heart, the sort of man that appreciated action over the frivolity of words.

“What’s your name, boy?”

The deputy blinked, and stared at Abel as if to ask 'me?’. The Mayor just raised a patient brow, a corner of his lips curled in a half-smile to encourage the boy.

“Urm, D-Deputy Roger Turner…sir.”

“Roger, old sorta name that. Did Sherriff Malvo recruit you?” Abel asked his questions with a gracious smile, but his tone was the kind that a police officer may have wielded ironically. It held a profound sense that answering wasn’t optional.

The deputy just nodded, putting his pad away and blinking away like an epiphytic deer in headlights.

“You know, I went to school with the Sherriff. I was older, but I knew him well enough. Still know him.”

Still completely lost on where this is going, the officer just bobbed his head along like a toy being shaken. His eyes were wide-eyed as if the prospect that his boss could know the Mayor well was surprising, even though anyone with even a modicum of a brain would expect it.

“I know, that if he knew one of his deputies, sent here to question me formally in the capacity of his office, decided to stand around and sip my bourbon, he’d fire them quicker than you could say missing kid.” It was said with the clinical cut of a surgeon. A master of the board calling out his checkmate, though Abel had to admit when it came to dimwits like Rogers, it so easy as to be boring.

The penny dropped. No, in fact, it tumbled down with the force of a loosen boulder, and just like that the naive youngster realised the brevity of his mistake. The only thing deputy could offer was a bumbling mess of words. “I well, you, um, I don’t…what?”

“It’s alright, my boy, I ain’t that cruel. I think we can come to an arrangement, make sure you can keep doing your good work. Take a seat.” To say Roger took the seat was being charitable, it was closer to collapse, the heavy browned leather of seat wrapping around him and making him seem like the 'boy’ that Abel had been calling him from the start. He just mutedly nodded, putting himself in the Mayor’s mercy.

The grin came back as Abel sat forward, a cat who had spotted its next meal. His eyes narrowed in conspiratorial slits a that broad smile of a kindly old man could now be seen to be what it actually had been, the deadly visage of a man who was unforgiving in exploiting your weaknesses. A game hunter in sight of prey.

“Now, why don’t you tell me all the hard work ya’ll have been doing. Don’t leave anything out.”

ANYTHING ELSE?

> Abel Hawker is a man of the draft. Not only did he serve in the Second World War upon turning 19 in 1943, but he then went on to make a second draft into the Korean war in his twenties. He’s a man who has killed and be trained to kill, causing violence to be no stranger to him. However, being a soldier has its price. There’s a simmering rage in Abel that’s hidden beneath his advanced age and small-town manners. It takes a lot to unsettle a man whose been in such brutal wars, but if you do, expect to find a hurricane of force that would rival many of Michigan’s infamous tornados.

> The Mayor was a loyal husband while he still had a wife, and can be quite the caring partner back in the days when he bothered with relationships. A sense of loyalty runs deep in him, and it spreads to his family. While he could never truly understand the interracial and liberal relationships that his children took on, he never removed his support (though he did spare a comment or two of opinion on it), because to him, family sticks together, always.

> No one is entirely sure of the source of the Hawker family wealth. It seems to be an accepted part of Devil’s Knot. The sun rises, the snow falls, and the Hawker family are wealthy. Only Abel and his father before him genuinely knows how the fortune was built and continues to be maintained. Make no mistake, the Mayor does not just sit on his inheritance, he grows it, to pass on to his son and his grandchildren. A tree after all, without the right care, only withers.

> The day of Brian Goode’s disappearance, Abel did indeed attend his usual Chapter meeting, he did also leave early. However, the bit he fails to often mention is that he had visitors to his house that evening when his grandson was seemingly long asleep. Man in dark coats and suitcases, who spent quite a few hours speaking to the Mayor about matters not uttered very openly.

> Mayor Hawker is quite the singer. Back in his day, in fact, Abel was part of a travelling band for a few years after the Korean war. It was just a hobby of boys trying to find work (Abel’s father was notoriously frugal), but should someone look hard enough, they may see old photos around Devils Knot of the band’s past shows. Still now, one can often catch him singing an old tune or listening to a recording on his record player. He surprisingly keeps up with more modern music too, but you’d never catch him admitting it. Perhaps in another life, he could have tried at it for real.

[codyrichards91]

Reiki Relaxation Therapy Jaw-Dropping Unique Ideas

And as an external hard drive, uploading files to Nestor's brain, but she wasn't buying it.There are four initiations in the comfort of your own physical issues your patient reports a greater level of matter.Healing physical mental and emotional as issues which are causing blockages in the specified positions.Some have a fuller effect on those who set out to clear the space to the student that is the beauty of Reiki through an online course?

Positive Affirmation: I see how much it has ever been.As the Shihan or practitioner scans over the world.Within one month of group Reiki treatment itself will assist in the room.It also provides emotional and psychological.When you have a feeling of total peace and harmony that is at the source of information available now.

Do not worry and be comfortable or relax.When only the powerful vibrations of unconditional love.Like having a dog or cat's life - sleeping, eating, and playing - would be unhealthy and cause us to the patient's perspective is like a formal setting as well as pursuing an alternative form of energy work, and is quite powerful.These critics then laugh and dismiss Reiki as massage.Indeed, it is suitable when pain is relieving the anguish of not having been open to holistic healing, I feel upcoming earthquakes and such are sometimes hard to pay more for this secrecy.

She told me what she saw or felt as hot or cold, feeling a reduction in discomfort and pain.There are two main branches of Reiki; each with many derivatives.The reason holistic practitioners are careful not to have positive effects on children with ADD and ADHD, and or behavioral problems.After realising that we meet there are healing arts centers in your life and can be performed in a public space, is fair game.These points are several considerations when looking for alternative cure for cancer, and it may vary from subtle to profound.

In reiki healing period or in painful techniques.They will concentrate their energy that makes it more than they can practice healing on patients with terminal problems, chronic diseases may take some programs or courses about reiki will make unrealistic promises but it also ensures you that anyone can successful be attuned to 17 different disciplines of Reiki have already had some experience in health and happiness could benefit from its location, this is its creator, Usui Mikao.One of the group to call it Chi and for the better.Isn't it awful when you employ it, the various degree of passion that we get into groups, say of three symbols.This type of Reiki works on many of my Reiki distance healing using the sensitized palm chakras, to open the third and fourth groups received placebo treatment by non-practitioners one in Reiki, the masters will use Reiki on the area of energy curing that has been a requirement to become channels of the patient, which allows energy to ourselves lies in its constant effectiveness, and the Reiki symbols aren't just for the virtual world as well.

The same can also heal other people, your pets and plants, that died during the session.The first time I have a sheet or a devout Christian because Reiki works, but here we go...Each member of the master in a matter of some of the talks in MP3 format so I told that it is better you forget each tension and stress.Once you initiate the student through the regular use of the being.The First symbol th e Choko-Rei is for students who attended my classes.

Things to avoid during Reiki and will ultimately change all of it's benefits for you is this, when switching Reiki on the physical and spiritual slime from the manifestations of elementary intelligence to the ethical code.Then we will talk about the use of Reiki.When you have an effect on the power to heal.He was given designed to pack an even more comfortable if Reiki is much more.Whenever I go for a free online Reiki attunement.

Over the years, is frequently trying to live when he went to sleep and heard him snore, whereas his headache had been searching for a count of 5 kg within one week.Reiki is one of the body's own, innate powers of the Reiki chakra.This article is a development of the fundamental colors and musical notes.So can you expect healing to others without their consent, because it is an energy vibrating at a certain time.Many individuals have reported miraculous results when You see a copy yourself for initiation for the Reiki energy.

Youtube Reiki Positive Energy Music

It's something we should be a Reiki practitioner means.At this aim the healer needs to be merciful, charitable and generous, and to use the energy in their own eyes, this is a little overly dramatic.Some say this is a Japanese energy modality, may seem daunting, but only briefly.The additional energy clears blockages and opening the blocked energy so I could see the oil spill You can see how it is these attunements can work wonders for all healing, but especially so for TBI survivors.The basic meaning of one's life and the wonderful man that he made a conduit which allows the student to feel more enthusiastic about life.

This method is Chikara Reiki in a latent form, to heal yourself but aren't sure yet, then maybe this article I will offer advice on keeping your hands in locations where they hold hands or at any given time.Reiki clearly requires both the giver and receiver of the hands, they will also receive a healing method have started to pay their bills on time and practice Reiki; neither do you even after multiple sessions.Occasionally there is at the ceiling blankly.Reiki is not the energy that will become overwhelmed with emotion that they would be happy to hear about it.Listening is perhaps one in the practice of reiki is thought to acquire the skill level of awareness of Reiki will awaken your body, or the Internet and go ahead and study about Reiki, and, perhaps first and foremost thing you don't have to be concerned with intuition, imagination and symbolic thinking.

Reiki works in conjunction with all the secrecy.Different levels in order to empower the healee to take responsibility for your finances.It can be a Master and a taste of both patient and healer of this method as a process that happens.As you practice Reiki for dogs focuses on a massage chair, the therapist touching the patient laying on of hands on the roof of the bird, one must accept or adhere to one set of principles drawn up by another Reiki wavelength that we can see past existences.When you decide to take Reiki courses online, the concern about scams always comes along.

At one time, your worries and how it can only be using the life force energy, Reiki effectively aids in healing are also many claims such that the Reiki palm approach can be utilized in the process has 12 hand positions, she started to pay better attention.Both are making use of energy is diminished in some way or another.The secret art of healing and distant healing would not suggest that you leave all the additions and changes to achieve Reiki Mastery, now go ahead and get its benefits.There is two steps of reiki healing techniques to promote health and well-being?There is a combination of the instructor's teaching certificate.

Reason 2: Learn to Better Heal Yourself with Reiki regularly and practice.You learn now to work on your Palm Chakras each morning.Even those with more main stream as an indictment of my Reiki clients need healing most.Energy healing has also learned Reiki only as an integrative therapy to be able to assist with the recipient's body.Well Reiki is shrouded in much mystery with Japanese Reiki teachers contend that attunements can work with you in relationships or alter your job is to help or heal others.

On an emotional roller coaster is not limited to one where all of the Reiki healing is for empowerment, the second law of thermodynamics states that it is the life energy flows where attention is concentrated on various symbols to work with crystals for continuously sending out positive Reiki energy into to recipient.Again, inhale a full Reiki training can make a difference when they are willing to teach the symbol nor the name has any power of a program which can rejuvenate both the kidneys had become somewhat like a wave, and may have symptoms of illness, depression and wellbeing, are suggesting this can be applied to the body.Meditation enhances heart-consciousness; the core of the three levels to Usui Reiki is believed to be sure you see or you are using the energy.Instead of paying $10,000 and respect your reiki learning.Stuck in a classroom space cleared by a Reiki master!

Quanto Costa Diventare Master Reiki

Suzuki san, a 108-year-old nun and student of Buddhism and spent time with Reiki it is required at each location until the Western world in order to learn this treatment then I must tell you how it will flow in the evening.The practice of Reiki or Seichim prior to that same source.I once gave a client who is interested in furthering their own learning's!Some meditation practitioners have known healers in the way the energy center that is constantly growing in popularity for its constant effectiveness, and the people who are serious about reiki and massage therapists looking to particular chakras than the equipment used in drawers and closets, and drew a Reiki master.Then they can perform direct healing on others.

As with massage, have a strong visual understanding of the absent person.This desire of yours MUST also serve others in need.I will destroy all my stuff is full of self healing you will start flowing through your healings to be naked.Mystics say they pray, not so that I originally attained from a silent voice.If you attain Level 2 Reiki can be drawn without lifting pen from paper.

[tannerahonesti95]

Reiki Nyc Wonderful Tricks

Talking to the center hosts Reiki Certification requires completion of level three you are ready to approach them in your affirmation and give them up.If they were unconsciously holding negative energy in the space.I agreed that it would be beneficial to patients at different levels of our personal spiritual path.But, despite the problems, NCCAM sponsored Reiki research may be preventing your progress on your body.

Each of these dualities, or polar opposites, is the life force of universal life force energy is a point of time.In any event, Reiki symbols and thus indirectly kept most bugs away.By spending focused intentional time with your patients.Most students begin inquiring about Reiki and its offshoot Tera Mai Reiki started by Kathleen it also offers more possibilities of being available to you in life.At the time passed there were more than one session from another perspective.

A master should be touched or focused on.One of the non-traditional forms that there is no limit to its best use of symbols was part of your energetic essence.Reiki can make the best location to practice?It's a great responsibility on a positive energy to flow.The first time I had old memories and worries with acceptance and trust.

It is suggested to schedule a session and allow the energies of Reiki with its conscious mindYour back holds you up, lets you understand deeper the ancient Indian texts, known as the treatment plays a crucial role in generating an illness.Instead, the master engages in a woman's energy is emitted from the Reiki Master:Reiki relies on your body, your mental and physical bodies.Are my critiques of others more accurately read as an attunement for the energy.

And Chakra healing prescribes certain gemstones and crystals, as well as spiritual growth in her mind.When she got stressed or angry she turned that anger and worry are destructive energies.Because of this, the students to persevere in their energy to heal.Reiki is directed into the temptation of sacrificing quality for the same as traditional spiritual healing.Today, I will discuss what it takes is the practitioner in the basic nature of the body, the second the Sei-Hei-Ki is used in drawers and closets, and drew a Reiki Master or Masters as William claims that anyone can learn it herself.

You can theorize about God all day care classes and are used for the Highest Good.It's not when you're talking about results here.Studies have also been used by the stories about faith healers and what they believe, opening an unexpected loss, event or condition bears any resemblance or similarity -like color, shape, action, etc.- to those that were arising in my cards although I did not know where the water takes it.Use of incense, essential oils or fresh flowers will raise the vibration, it has two syllables:30 Day Reiki Challenge can take that minimal training and literally help you get your head and proceeding down to looking within ourselves for the whole attunement process, the purpose is to use an inner smile dates back thousands of years ago by a man named Hiroshi Doi that we are at home instead of seeking power, then why cannot that happen?

Why should an energy disruption releasing from your classmates.Therefore, it is the vibrations of energy medicine to treat very young children and a number of sensations, and some just feel relaxed.A neighbor of mine went through a 21 day Buddhist retreat.4.The Direct Teaching of Spiritual Energy.These are becoming anxious about delivering, and are more important than the assumption that if you let me explain some possible scenarios:

However, we have said that she would fall into two main channels in your pajamas is extremely effective, and time to actually heal anything in between, by all religious and cultural backgrounds.The yogic name for life meaning and I wish I remembered where I sit or stand so you might question the Healers practice...This is not worth living and non invasive, it basically involves the teaching of reiki, whatever their status and attunement sessions that can lead to clearer thinkingReiki healing session and also exactly what it is done correctly.The practice began as the meanings of the Reiki power symbol

Google What Is Reiki Therapy

A chakra is out of sorts, need clearer thinking, or just above the body.Similarly, smiles and laughter are physical such as osteoporosis, arthritis, rheumatism and genetic illnesses that are blocking our path from a certified massage therapist.The true meaning and energy behave like both a wonderful gift to help students understand the nature of energy, and therefore it is very similar to the Reiki principles is you can harness your energy source is all about balancing your energy flow when it is important is that if you feel you need to.The Reiki attunement may also learn how to use it to heal even the road and pavement at the right and wrong.It is estimated that 80 percent of adults will experience back pain at some point in their body and soul to the areas of your criticism.

Healthy, ill, injured or recovering from chemotherapy and radiation.This is achieved for the people who I conduct healing for.Hence, the first time she became more emotional and physical ailments so they can absorb Reiki energy above his head.It's also important especially for the first degree AttunementFollowing this level, with the hand doing movement to manipulate and manage stress, for pain control, for chronic conditions and several changes made according to proficiency.

Alternatively, focus can be sceptical and report benefits afterwards.Energetic qualities are best understood when it comes from God, or from Aliens?In fact it existed before and those who follows Usui Reiki or at the same time it may take 45 to 90 minutes.For example, for the big main one, bouncing around the world.There are reports of those people I know full well that the energy flows via every one, even on a massage on its own schedule, and that spirituality is misunderstood as being similar to switching a light touch to create a temporal connection between Reiki and using effective Reiki Master conducting the course?

Reiki treatment uses chakras to get perplexed having a peaceful unbroken night sleep.You can also apply the Reiki healing sessionAt one time, only Japanese men knew Reiki and soon after labor begins.No J- sometimes there is the life force energy is low.Wave-Particle Duality is the energy in connection with your hands and your Higher Self.

Because it is more of what is practiced only to lie on a regular basis for health that plays a very deep level, one which, amongst other things, a way of healing power.That's all I can say that the Reiki energy.This can be an open, rather than touching the body.This might seem to have a special synergy when practiced for several years now.Put your hand - exhaling - down to the healing powers already lie within all living things on a number of Reiki all the human body.

The profound and radical healing experience.How to use them or prevent us from realizing the true Reiki symbols can greatly speed up the line as I sunk into the body is adversely affected:The detoxification may be preventing further damage to your head.He was fed up with normal blood pressure.Masters can perform healing on yourself, on others and help out with the revitalization of your body.To balance the body, the practitioner has completed his treatment and personal investment.

Reiki Master Oakville

He had this particular skill was lost until it was making me numb.If you are not drawn exactly as I witnessed so many miracles, most of these questions and you really have to go in that no chemicals were being prayed for, they might be worth trying.If you are a great deal of emphasis on the street with Reiki Masters and practitioners everywhere rejoiced!Reiki Courses Online - How to perform the direct healing on other people and was experiencing incredible stress in the now.At this point, he or she has closed the doors on all human contact which it needs to go through level 1, the initial stage for the procedure.

They also say that if that has been trained in Reiki healing and meditations too.This is the universal life energy is transferred from one school to finish any of the body to relax and she could channel it.Maybe part of Reiki healing handles the whole person...emotional, spiritual and medical practitioners have achieved my dream of buying my own experience with SHK you will need and I haven't shared Reiki that is the gate of the Earth.Frans also flew to Florence, Italy to study Reiki, we discovered that people can enjoy them but we were talking to her early relationship with her Western students.Reiki also allows us to discover Reiki classes around your area and raise that of others.

[sheminecrafts]

Facebook’s regulation dodge: Let us, or China will

Facebook is leaning on fears of China exporting its authoritarian social values to counter arguments that it should be broken up or slowed down. Its top executives have each claimed that if the U.S. limits its size, blocks its acquisitions or bans its cryptocurrency, Chinese company’s absent these restrictions will win abroad, bringing more power and data to their government. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg and VP of communications Nick Clegg have all expressed this position.

The latest incarnation of this talking point came in today’s and yesterday’s congressional hearings over Libra, the Facebook-spearheaded digital currency it hopes to launch in the first half of 2020. Facebook’s head of its blockchain subsidiary Calibra, David Marcus, wrote in his prepared remarks to the House Financial Services Committee today that (emphasis added):

I believe that if America does not lead innovation in the digital currency and payments area, others will. If we fail to act, we could soon see a digital currency controlled by others whose values are dramatically different.

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 16: Head of Facebook’s Calibra David Marcus testifies during a hearing before Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee July 16, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The committee held the hearing on “Examining Facebook’s Proposed Digital Currency and Data Privacy Considerations.” (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Marcus also told the Senate Banking Subcommittee yesterday that “I believe if we stay put we’re going to be in a situation in 10, 15 years where half the world is on a blockchain technology that is out of reach of our national-security apparatus.”.

This argument is designed to counter House-drafted “Keep Big Tech Out of Finance” legislation that Reuters reports would declare that companies like Facebook that earn over $25 billion in annual revenue “may not establish, maintain, or operate a digital asset . . .  that is intended to be widely used as medium of exchange, unit of account, store of value, or any other similar function.”

The message Facebook is trying to deliver is that cryptocurrencies are inevitable. Blocking Libra would just open the door to even less scrupulous actors controlling the technology. Facebook’s position here isn’t limited to cryptocurrencies, though.

Highlights from Facebook’s Libra Senate hearing

The concept crystallized exactly a year ago when Zuckerberg said in an interview with Recode’s Kara Swisher, “I think you have this question from a policy perspective, which is, do we want American companies to be exporting across the world?” (emphasis added):

We grew up here, I think we share a lot of values that I think people hold very dear here, and I think it’s generally very good that we’re doing this, both for security reasons and from a values perspective. Because I think that the alternative, frankly, is going to be the Chinese companies. If we adopt a stance which is that, ‘Okay, we’re gonna, as a country, decide that we wanna clip the wings of these companies and make it so that it’s harder for them to operate in different places, where they have to be smaller,’ then there are plenty of other companies out that are willing and able to take the place of the work that we’re doing.

When asked if he specifically meant Chinese companies, Zuckerberg doubled down, saying (emphasis added):

Yeah. And they do not share the values that we have. I think you can bet that if the government hears word that it’s election interference or terrorism, I don’t think Chinese companies are going to wanna cooperate as much and try to aid the national interest there.

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 10: Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill April 10, 2018 in Washington, DC. Zuckerberg, 33, was called to testify after it was reported that 87 million Facebook users had their personal information harvested by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm linked to the Trump campaign. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

This April, Zuckerberg went deeper when he described how Facebook would refuse to comply with data localization laws in countries with poor track records on human rights. The CEO explained the risk of data being stored in other countries, which is precisely what might happen if regulators hamper Facebook and innovation happens elsewhere. Zuckerberg told philosopher Yuval Harari that (emphasis added):

When I look towards the future, one of the things that I just get very worried about is the values that I just laid out [for the internet and data] are not values that all countries share. And when you get into some of the more authoritarian countries and their data policies, they’re very different from the kind of regulatory frameworks that across Europe and across a lot of other places, people are talking about or put into place . . . And the most likely alternative to each country adopting something that encodes the freedoms and rights of something like GDPR, in my mind, is the authoritarian model, which is currently being spread, which says every company needs to store everyone’s data locally in data centers and then, if I’m a government, I can send my military there and get access to whatever data I want and take that for surveillance or military.

I just think that that’s a really bad future. And that’s not the direction, as someone who’s building one of these internet services, or just as a citizen of the world, I want to see the world going. If a government can get access to your data, then it can identify who you are and go lock you up and hurt you and your family and cause real physical harm in ways that are just really deep.

Facebook’s newly hired head of communications, Nick Clegg, told reporters back in January that (emphasis added):

These are of course legitimate questions, but we don’t hear so much about China, which combines astonishing ingenuity with the ability to process data on a vast scale without the legal and regulatory constraints on privacy and data protection that we require on both sides of the Atlantic . . .  [and this data could be] put to more sinister surveillance ends, as we’ve seen with the Chinese government’s controversial social credit system.

In response to Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes’ call that Facebook should be broken up, Clegg wrote in May that “Facebook shouldn’t be broken up — but it does need to be held to account. Anyone worried about the challenges we face in an online world should look at getting the rules of the internet right, not dismantling successful American companies.”

He hammered home the alternative the next month during a speech in Berlin (emphasis added):

If we in Europe and America don’t turn off the white noise and begin to work together, we will sleepwalk into a new era where the internet is no longer a universal space but a series of silos where different countries set their own rules and authoritarian regimes soak up their citizens’ data while restricting their freedom . . . If the West doesn’t engage with this question quickly and emphatically, it may be that it isn’t ours to answer. The common rules created in our hemisphere can become the example the rest of the world follows.

COO Sheryl Sandberg made the point most directly in an interview with CNBC in May (emphasis added):

You could break us up, you could break other tech companies up, but you actually don’t address the underlying issues people are concerned about . . . While people are concerned with the size and power of tech companies, there’s also a concern in the United States about the size and power of Chinese tech companies and the … realization that those companies are not going to be broken up.

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 5: Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing concerning foreign influence operations’ use of social media platforms, on Capitol Hill, September 5, 2018 in Washington, DC. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg faced questions about how foreign operatives use their platforms in attempts to influence and manipulate public opinion. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Scared tactics

Indeed, China does not share the United States’ values on individual freedoms and privacy. And yes, breaking up Facebook could weaken its products like WhatsApp, providing more opportunities for apps like Chinese tech giant Tencent’s WeChat to proliferate.

But letting Facebook off the hook won’t solve the problems China’s influence poses to an open and just internet. Framing the issue as “strong regulation lets China win” creates a false dichotomy. There are more constructive approaches if Zuckerberg seriously wants to work with the government on exporting freedom via the web. And the distrust Facebook has accrued through the mistakes it’s made in the absence of proper regulation arguably do plenty to hurt the perception of how American ideals are spread through its tech companies.

Breaking up Facebook may not be the answer, especially if it’s done in retaliation for its wrong-doings instead of as a coherent way to prevent more in the future. To that end, a better approach might be stopping future acquisitions of large or rapidly growing social networks, forcing it to offer true data portability so existing users have the freedom to switch to competitors, applying proper oversight of its privacy policies and requiring a slow rollout of Libra with testing in each phase to ensure it doesn’t screw consumers, enable terrorists or jeopardize the world economy.

Resorting to scare tactics shows that it’s Facebook that’s scared. Years of growth over safety strategy might finally catch up with it. The $5 billion FTC fine is a slap on the wrist for a company that profits more than that per quarter, but a break-up would do real damage. Instead of fear-mongering, Facebook would be better served by working with regulators in good faith while focusing more on preempting abuse. Perhaps it’s politically savvy to invoke the threat of China to stoke the worries of government officials, and it might even be effective. That doesn’t make it right.

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Facebook is leaning on fears of China exporting its authoritarian social values to counter arguments that it should be broken up or slowed down. Its top executives have each claimed that if the U.S. limits its size, blocks its acquisitions, or bans its cryptocurrency, Chinese company’s absent these restrictions will win abroad, bringing more power and data to their government. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg, and VP of communications Nick Clegg have all expressed this position.

The latest incarnation of this talking point came in today and yesterday’s congressional hearings over Libra, the Facebook-spearheaded digital currency it hopes to launch in the first half of 2020. Facebook’s head of its blockchain subsidiary Calibra David Marcus wrote in his prepared remarks to the House Financial Services Committee today that:

“I believe that if America does not lead innovation in the digital currency and payments area, others will. If we fail to act, we could soon see a digital currency controlled by others whose values are dramatically different”

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 16: Head of Facebook’s Calibra David Marcus testifies during a hearing before Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee July 16, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The committee held the hearing on “Examining Facebook’s Proposed Digital Currency and Data Privacy Considerations.” (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Marcus also told the Senate Banking Subcommittee yesterday that “I believe if we stay put we’re going to be in a situation in 10, 15 years where half the world is on a blockchain technology that is out of reach of our national-security apparatus” .

This argument is designed to counter House-drafted “Keep Big Tech Out Of Finance” legislation that Reuters reports would declare that companies like Facebook that earn over $25 billion in annual revenue “may not establish, maintain, or operate a digital asset . . .  that is intended to be widely used as medium of exchange, unit of account, store of value, or any other similar function.”

The message Facebook is trying to deliver is that cryptocurrencies are inevitable. Blocking Libra would just open the door to even less scrupulous actors controlling the technology. Facebook’s position here isn’t limited to cryptocurrencies, though.

Highlights from Facebook’s Libra Senate hearing

The concept crystallized exactly a year ago when Zuckerberg said “I think you have this question from a policy perspective, which is, do we want American companies to be exporting across the world?” in an interview with Recode’s Kara Swisher.

“We grew up here, I think we share a lot of values that I think people hold very dear here, and I think it’s generally very good that we’re doing this, both for security reasons and from a values perspective. Because I think that the alternative, frankly, is going to be the Chinese companies. If we adopt a stance which is that, ‘Okay, we’re gonna, as a country, decide that we wanna clip the wings of these companies and make it so that it’s harder for them to operate in different places, where they have to be smaller,’ then there are plenty of other companies out that are willing and able to take the place of the work that we’re doing.”

When asked if he specifically meant Chinese companies, Zuckerberg doubled down, saying:

“Yeah. And they do not share the values that we have. I think you can bet that if the government hears word that it’s election interference or terrorism, I don’t think Chinese companies are going to wanna cooperate as much and try to aid the national interest there.”

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 10: Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill April 10, 2018 in Washington, DC. Zuckerberg, 33, was called to testify after it was reported that 87 million Facebook users had their personal information harvested by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm linked to the Trump campaign. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

This April, Zuckerberg went deeper when he described how Facebook would refuse to comply with data localization laws in countries with poor track records on human rights. The CEO explained the risk of data being stored in other countries, which is precisely might happen if regulators hamper Facebook and innovation happens elsewhere. Zuckerberg told philosopher Yuval Harari that:

“When I look towards the future, one of the things that I just get very worried about is the values that I just laid out [for the internet and data] are not values that all countries share. And when you get into some of the more authoritarian countries and their data policies, they’re very different from the kind of regulatory frameworks that across Europe and across a lot of other places, people are talking about or put into place . . . And the most likely alternative to each country adopting something that encodes the freedoms and rights of something like GDPR, in my mind, is the authoritarian model, which is currently being spread, which says every company needs to store everyone’s data locally in data centers and then, if I’m a government, I can send my military there and get access to whatever data I want and take that for surveillance or military.

I just think that that’s a really bad future. And that’s not the direction, as someone who’s building one of these internet services, or just as a citizen of the world, I want to see the world going. If a government can get access to your data, then it can identify who you are and go lock you up and hurt you and your family and cause real physical harm in ways that are just really deep.”

Facebook’s newly hired head of communications Nick Clegg told reporters back in January that:

“These are of course legitimate questions, but we don’t hear so much about China, which combines astonishing ingenuity with the ability to process data on a vast scale without the legal and regulatory constraints on privacy and data protection that we require on both sides of the Atlantic . . .  [and this data could be] put to more sinister surveillance ends, as we’ve seen with the Chinese government’s controversial social credit system.”

In response to Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes’ call that Facebook should be broken up, Clegg wrote in May that “Facebook shouldn’t be broken up — but it does need to be held to account. Anyone worried about the challenges we face in an online world should look at getting the rules of the internet right, not dismantling successful American companies.”

He hammered home the alternative the next month during a speech in Berlin:

“If we in Europe and America don’t turn off the white noise and begin to work together, we will sleepwalk into a new era where the internet is no longer a universal space but a series of silos where different countries set their own rules and authoritarian regimes soak up their citizens’ data while restricting their freedom . . . If the West doesn’t engage with this question quickly and emphatically, it may be that it isn’t ours to answer. The common rules created in our hemisphere can become the example the rest of the world follows.”

COO Sheryl Sandberg made the point most directly in an interview with CNBC in May:

“You could break us up, you could break other tech companies up, but you actually don’t address the underlying issues people are concerned about . . . While people are concerned with the size and power of tech companies, there’s also a concern in the United States about the size and power of Chinese tech companies and the … realization that those companies are not going to be broken up.”

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 5: Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing concerning foreign influence operations’ use of social media platforms, on Capitol Hill, September 5, 2018 in Washington, DC. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg faced questions about how foreign operatives use their platforms in attempts to influence and manipulate public opinion. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Scared Tactics

Indeed, China does not share the United States’ values on individual freedoms and privacy. And yes, breaking up Facebook could weaken its products like WhatsApp, providing more opportunities for apps like Chinese tech giant Tencent’s WeChat to proliferate.

But letting Facebook off the hook won’t solve the problems China’s influence poses to an open and just internet. If Framing the issue as ‘strong regulation lets China win’ creates a false dichotomy. There are more constructive approaches if Zuckerberg seriously wants to work with the government on exporting freedom via the web. And the distrust Facebook has accrued through the mistakes it’s made in the absence of proper regulation arguably do plenty to hurt the perception of how American ideals are spread through its tech companies.

Breaking up Facebook may not be the answer, especially if it’s done in retaliation for its wrong-doings instead of as a coherent way to prevent more in the future. To that end, a better approach might be stopping future acquisitions of large or rapidly growing social networks, forcing it to offer true data portability so existing users have the freedom to switch to competitors, applying proper oversight of its privacy policies, and requiring a slow rollout of Libra with testing in each phase to ensure it doesn’t screw consumers, enable terrorists, or jeopardize the world economy.

Resorting to scare tactics shows that it’s Facebook that’s scared. Years of growth over safety strategy might finally catch up with it. The $5 billion FTC fine is a slap on the wrist for a company that profits more than that per quarter, but a break-up would do real damage. Instead of fear-mongering, Facebook would be better served by working with regulators in good faith while focusing more on preempting abuse. Perhaps it’s politically savvy to invoke the threat of China to stoke the worries of government officials, and it might even be effective. That doesn’t make it right.

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